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Sunday, December 14, 2008

All I Want for Christmas...

***That's our tree! Isn't it pretty? I love, love, love this time of year!

So, as you may have guessed, cookbooks are one thing that I love to collect. When Christmas rolls around each year, there are usually several that I've had my eyes on. This year is no exception...Especially with our trip to France, Germany, and Italy coming up in just 2 months. I've found myself obsessed with French cuisine. I love it. So naturally, some of these cookbooks are by French chefs or about Paris in general...and there's even one by a Birmingham, AL chef about Italian cuisine! Honestly, I'm probably just as excited about sampling all of the gourmet food as I am about seeing the sights! Haha. Our 2 week-long adventure in Europe, will be here before we know it. We've got *almost* everything we need before we go...cameras, passports, new coat...check! There are only a few more things we'll need, like some comfy walking shoes. The good news is, I plan to blog about our entire trip right here on Sugar & Spice. I want to write about everything from the food we eat to all of the amazing things that we see and do. I hope you'll come along with us in February. :)

The following cookbooks are at the top of my Christmas list this year. I've included links to each cookbook on Amazon.com. What's on your wish list???***

I recently bought Dorie's "Baking: From My Home to Yours", and I absolutely love it. Dorie Greenspan never fails to deliver a delectably perfect recipe. So, the first two cookbooks on my list are no-brainers. I've read nothing but rave reviews for "Paris Sweets". I can't wait to try out some of the recipes.

I first heard about this cookbook during one of my favorite Daring Bakers challenges - The Chocolate Eclair. Not to mention, Pierre Herme is considered the top pastry chef in France...and even in the WORLD! Being the chocolate lover that I am, I must have this cookbook! :)

3. "The Complete Rubuchon" - By Joel RubuchonThe New York Times recently declared this book the "Joy of Cooking" for French cuisine. After flipping through the pages, I certainly believe it! The only drawback to this great cookbook is the fact that there are no photos...which is usually something that I love. However, Joel Rubuchon is the man, and I cannot wait to try some of his recipes. He includes precise techniques and teaches you the correct preparations for classic French dishes. This is a book you can rely on for any occasion! The recipes are also less fussy than you would expect, which is something else that I love about this book.

4. "Bottega Favorita" - By Frank StittFrank Stitt is a local chef here in the Birmingham, AL area, and he has received accolades from Gourmet magazine, the Discovery Channel, The New York Times, the James Beard Foundation, and he was recently named one of the culinary "Legends of the Decade" by Bon Appetit magazine...pretty darn impressive, huh?? I have an autographed copy of his first cookbook, "Frank Stitt's Southern Table", which is equally as fabulous as this companion book.

Here's a great review from Amazon.com:

"There are some places worth traveling to just for the food: Rome, Venice . . . and now, Birmingham, Italy.

In this companion to his first, best-selling cookbook, the beloved Southern chef Frank Stitt travels to Italy and brings the best of Mediterranean cuisine back home. To Stitt's mind, the two regions—Italy and the American South—share commonalities. Both native cuisines have a tradition of turning humble ingredients—ground corn, bitter greens, cured pork, the daily catch—into poetry on the plate. And as the chef points out in his lively introduction to the book, this is elemental cooking based on the purity and simplicity of the freshest and finest ingredients."

I first happened upon Clotilde's food blog, Chocolate & Zucchini about a year ago. I loved the name and I love the blog even more. She's authored several awesome books, and I would love to have a copy of this one. Be sure to visit her blog...you'll be impressed!